Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-09-08
vExArlous CENSUS PROBLEMS.
How !. i. Proposed TO Overcome Some
Abuses.

How 1t Is Proposed 20 Overcome some
- Abusss.
SARATOGA, N. Y, Sept. before the
Social Science association, which con-
vened here, the president, Col. Carroll
d. Wright, chief of the bureau of labor
statistics It Washington, delivered an
important address on PROBLEMS of the
Gems u.s." Col. Wright showed some of
the shortcomings of the census. Among
those which he pointed put are the fol-
lowing: The statistics for illiteracy, for
example, are from inherent conditions
incorrect, because there are thousands of
families who do not confess to the enum-
orators that they have members who can
not read or write. Another instance of
necessary error is the census of the in
sane, which has not yet even approxim-
ated accuracy, because a very large num-
bsr of insane persons who are not con-
fined in public institutions are never
counted. Neither can the prevalence of
idiccy be accurately measured, because
people will not tell that they have idf-
otto members OF their families.
Likewise many local cepsuses as we'll
as the national ensus of mortality
are yet in many cases far from approxi-
mate accuracy. But all enumerations of
this kind err on the favorable side. The
number of illiterates and idiots and in
sane persons and of deaths is always toe
small. Conclusions drawn from them
are not always vicious or wrong, but con-
illusions drawn from comparative statis-
tics of these kind are almost sure to be
misleading. Fol example. II the census
of the insane at n date be AIKEN
more accurately that ct a preceding date
(Which is nearly always the case), a COM
parison would indicate an increase of in
sanity which the facts do not warrant.
The increase is really what may be called
an increase of accuracy In enumeration.
Comparative statistics on these subjects,
therefore, which SEEM to show an alarm
ing increase in ignorance or insanity are
misleading.
EvenIworse as the basis for sound con
illusions are the statistics of capital and
wages, Owing both to the kind of in
quiries that have been made, and to tho
u-nwillingness of manufacturers and cap
italists to "giye away their. business
as they regard 1t, the statistics Of capital
invested in any kind of manufactures
hitherto reported in any American CEN
sus were shown by Col. Wright to be ut
terly wrong. The enumerators have
generally asked for the amount of cap
ital actually paid in, whereas the only
| sound basis for a computation is the
amount OF capital actually used. II q
manufacturer with 81, 900 worth of cap.
ital turns out $500 worth of goods, sells
the goods for cash, and buys his material
on long time, and then turns out an.
other $500 worth of goods before the
year is ended, plainly he has used more
than his original 81 900 as capital during
the veal. To ascertain the capital really
employed is the task of the bookkeeper,
and his calculation must be based or the
| development and the rapidity of the re.
turns of the establishment. and not
simply on the original amount of money
paid down.
And so the averages of wages. which
were calculated by dividing the number
of employees on the pay roll into the ag
| gregate amount paid rs wages is fallaci
Gus, for the number of hands vary dur
Ing the year, the time they take make
varies, and their wages are too various Il
be thus grouped together.
1t follows, of course, that the sweeping
calculations of the profits of manufact-
urers based on these returns OF
capital and wages are utterly wrong
"These two questions, capital invested
and average wages, as answered by tn,
census, y said Colonel Wright, 'illustratt
the fallacy of attempting to solve a Ger
tain line of economic questions through
the census as it has existed. In making
this criticism let it be understood that
arraign myself as severely as anyon,
else, for until within a few years / hav,
followed, in all the censu work in which
/ have been engaged. the old form, mol
did / fully comprehend the enormity O
the error, the infinite harm it has done
and is likely to do.n
Since Col. Wright is more likely thar
any other man to have charge of the mex
national census, the method he woult
employ to take an Industrial census Is an
important announcement. He has reached
the conclusion that manufacturing Stats
tics, as contemplated by tho ordinsr,
census schedule, used in the federal cen
suses, can not give such Information as t,
enable ope to classify wages to any grea
extent, or TO ascertain earnings. But tn,
scheme he has. laid down, which he ex
plains to-day, for taking an industrial
census is to make inquiries about, a. tn,
capital invested in each industry, tn,
SeIm CdpItdl luFeSbSu mSduluR I'LL III
used in whatever form; (s) the value Of
the principal stock or raw material used
(3) the gross quantity and value Of article
manufactured, as represented by theil
selling value; (4) the number OF partner
OF stockholders; the largest, smallest
and average number of persons employed
distinguishing as to sex, h adults an,
children; co. the total wages paid during
the year, distinguishing also as to sex
adults and children; (6) the proportio,
that the business of the year bore to til,
greatest capacity for production of tn,
establishment; (D this number of week
In operation during the year, partial tim,
being reduced to full time.
Col Wright, in discussing the taking
&c 9 census of occupations, declared tina,
the census of Massachusetts,, taken ii
1886, which will soon be published an.
which he directed, shows that there ar
more than twenty thousand different cc
cnpations in which the people OF tina
state are engaged.
Victims of Scarlet Fever.
LONDON, Sept. 7.-Over one thousan,
cases of scarlet fever are reported in Lon
don, andst the disease is increasing in ex
i 1-A - ~ E-.--